This invention concerns a disposable single-use drip-feed device with a cover for the needle after use.
The continuous spread of infectious diseases has meant that all invasive instruments used in treating patients are designed in such a way as to be rendered completely harmless once used.
This is particularly important for medical personnel who can easily injure themselves with objects which at first sight seem harmless.
This is the case with drip-feed devices consisting of a connector which couples with a tube supplying drip-feed liquid and of a needle linked together by a narrow tube. For handling, the needle is provided with a pair of flexible tabs diametrically opposite each other.
Before the drip-feed device is used, the needle is sheathed in a cap which is flush with the structure which the tabs are attached to.
Since the needle and the structure to which it is attached are very small so as to enable the needle to be inserted into the vein while almost in contact with and parallel to the skin, this cap must also be very small.
Consequently the cap is often lost immediately after it is removed from the needle, and in any case, it is difficult to replace it on the needle without running the risk of pricking oneself.
Immediate disposal of the whole device in a suitable container after use easily overcomes the problem of the risk of injury, but sometimes may be difficult to do when it is necessary to perform a number of tasks almost simultaneously and there is no time available to think about one's personal safety, as when the life of a patient may depend upon swift action being taken.
This aspect is even more serious if, as mentioned above, the patient is suffering from an easily transmitted infectious disease. Obviously, in the case of a drip-feed device the risk would be great, since the needle would spread contagion through an injury and not by mere contact.
The aim of the present invention is to design the drip-feed mechanism in such a way that it may be swiftly and easily made harmless, thus eliminating the above mentioned drawbacks.